Putnam Plastics adds ultrashort-pulse laser machining to service portfolio

Putnam Plastics Corp. (Danville, CT) has expanded its capabilities to include advanced laser machining and state-of-the-art short pulse and ultrashort pulse laser technologies. The supplier of medical tubing with a focus on small diameters and minimally invasive technologies notes that this new capability provides customers with a reduction in lead time and shortening of their supply chains to bring them one step closer to a finished device, all under one roof.

“We had been outsourcing this service,” Ryan Dandeneau, Vice President, told PlasticsToday from the company’s booth at MD&M West today. “Advanced laser machining was brought in house because of customer demand and to provide them with more value added services, which is an ongoing commitment at Putnam Plastics.”

Putnam’s laser machining allows for medical devices to be manufactured with the smallest features in accordance with the most demanding specifications. Multiple in-house lasers provide the ability to have tight tolerances and to machine complex features with repeatability better than 4 microns, according to Putnam Plastics. These lasers, some of which have 4-axis capability, are able to produce simple and complex micro-features, precision cuts, braid and coil terminations, and laser printing and marking. In addition to these capabilities, they also have laser bonding abilities which create smooth, strong welded bonds and offer a more efficient application of heat than the traditional method.

The 2- and 4-axis lasers are able to cut precise patterns with reliable accuracy even in difficult configurations, such as multi-lumen, thin-walled, lined and braid-reinforced catheter tubing, said Ray Rilling, Director of Technology, in a prepared statement. “This makes our laser machining capabilities ideal for a variety of catheters, including micro catheters, guide catheters and EP catheters.” Other applications that can benefit from laser machining include drug-delivery access ports, selective removal of material and position markings.

MD&M West, co-located with PLASTEC West, runs through Feb. 9 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. Visit Putnam Plastics at booth 2511.